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Bluffton hearts & darts

Posted: September 22, 2013 - 12:09am

Savannah

TODAY IS THE FIRST DAY OF FALL

Hearts ... to the first day of fall. We love fall and all that it brings with it in the greater Bluffton area and the Lowcountry. There are festivals and events every weekend and even some during the week to enjoy.

The 9th Annual Historic Bluffton Arts & Seafood Festival is coming as well. It is Oct. 13-20 and it is classic Bluffton.

Fall means football as well and the Bobcats continue another successful football season. Plan on catching a game and be sure to root for the home team.

The change in season also means that the holidays are just around the corner. Don’t blink or fall will be over.

WADDELL FUTURE FUNDING STILL AN ISSUE

Darts ... to the lobbying and work that must continue to secure needed funds to make repairs at the Waddell Mariculture Center.

Concerns with the Waddell center include leaky skylights, structural cracks, a worn out garage door, ailing freezers and equipment corroded by saltwater. The center was on its way to receiving a record $1.2 million in state funding in February until the Legislature voted on a budget. The Bluffton facility received less than half of what it needed.

But lawmakers such as Rep. Bill Herbkersman of Bluffton were glad Waddell received something. After all, it was the first time in 12 years the Legislature sent the center reoccurring operational funds — $353,000, at that.

The Waddell center, situated on 1,200 acres at Victoria Bluff in Bluffton, stocks fish and develops sustainable farming techniques, among other activities. It’s widely considered a key piece in sustaining the state’s $1 million saltwater fishing industry.

If you want to help the center, here is your chance: Attend the “Taste of Waddell” at the center from 3-7 p.m. on Nov. 10.

AL STOKES: THE MAN BEHIND WADDELL

Hearts ... to Al Stokes and his commitment to the Waddell Mariculture Center in Bluffton.

The center is a hidden gem and one of the best-kept secrets in Beaufort County. And Stokes is a fixture there being a part of the center for 30 years. He is doing what he loves. And that shows in his work at the center.

Stokes is the manager and a wildlife biologist at center. Biologists staffed at the center conduct research in mariculture, which is the cultivation of aquatic organisms in salt water, especially for food. Biologists have to ensure that harmful items, such as bacteria are removed from bodies of water so that it won’t become toxic to fish.

Stokes and his staff constantly develop tools to track the population of fish in the area.

“We are on call 24/7,” Stokes said. “We work weekends.”

We commend Stokes for his work and for keeping a positive outlook on the work of the center.

SHOOTING IN CHICAGO LATEST BAD NEWS

Darts ... to another shooting. This time in Chicago and it involved a 3-year-old boy.

Many of us woke up Friday to the news that a shooting in a park in Chicago injured 13 people. This incident is the latest in a line of horrific and fatal shootings in recent months.

Chicago’s top police official says an assault style rifle with high capacity magazine was used in Thursday’s park shooting.

“Its a miracle in this instance there were no fatalities,” Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy said at a news conference on Friday.

McCarthy added that based on witness interviews, the attack appears to be gang-related, as several of the victims are gang members. It is still unclear whether more than one person opened fire, he said.

We keep saying it can’t happen here, but we can never be certain.

GASOLINE PRICES DROP

Hearts ... to the lower gasoline prices in the greater Bluffton area. At one local station on Thursday, the going rate was $3.12 for a gallon of regular unleaded. We like that price.

With talk of building more roads and finding ways to pay for these road improvements, we wonder how long it is going to be before South Carolina adds to its tax on gas. South Carolina still has one of the lowest gas taxes in the nation and we can appreciate that.

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